…and the writing I should be doing

Tag Archives: bird omens

This morning, when I was taking our roommate into work, I nearly ran into 4 huge crows in the middle of the road who were fighting over some poor dead critter. I’ve always been a huge fan of the crow rhyme (have I listed it here?), and 4 is for birth. So I’m wondering what new thing will be coming into our life right now. Bear just had an interview that seemed to go really well, so hopefully that’s a sign of good things to come. 🙂

One is for Sorrow,
Two is for Mirth.
Three for a Wedding,
Four for a Birth.
Five is for Silver,
Six is for Gold,
Seven for a Secret Never to be Told.
Eight is for Heaven,
Nine is for Hell.
Ten is for the Devil’s Own Self.

Crow/Raven is also kind of a family totem, as it’s part of the name we adopted when we got married and in our various creative pursuits, so I pay special attention when it shows itself.

Later, as I was taking the dogs out, there was an enormous hawk sitting on the deck. He flew away, and I marveled at how big he was. His wingspan must have been 3 1/2 feet easily.

According to All Totems, hawk’s message is insight, adaptability, openness, visionary power and guardianship. So there’s an opportunity out there for me that I need to pay attention to. When Bear gets his job, I finally get to quit my job and start working from home again. I get to leave behind the pain of my stressful retail job, and do better for myself. I get to apply for insurance, regulate my sleep schedule, decide how much stress I’m willing to allow in my life, and act accordingly. It will be great for my writing, great for my fibro, and I’ll be making more money to boot. It will improve a lot of things for me.

Photograph of a Red-tailed Hawk en ( Buteo jamaicensis en ). Photo taken at the Zoo America in Hershey, Pennsylvania where it was identified.

Yesterday we had breakfast with some friends that Bear had made through his voice-acting volunteer work. They were lovely. We shot the shit about random things, and just generally had a great time. They were very welcoming and fun to hang out with.

After we had enjoyed our breakfast, (bacon and pancakes- ALWAYS a winning combination), we sat in the living room and talked for a while in front of their huge picture window. The conversation was great. However, at one point, some movement caught my eye outside the window.

I jumped up, not believing that I was seeing what I was seeing. It was a HUGE pileated woodpecker with his bright red head. He had to be at least 18 inches tall. I’ve only seen one before in my life, but it’s such a striking bird that it’s instantly recognizable. I dashed to the window, alarming our hosts no doubt, to nearly squee in delight at the sight.

West Linn, Oregon, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bear seemed nonchalant, saying that they showed up often in Maryland, his home state. Regardless, I’m still excited that I got to see one.

When I looked up the symbolism of the woodpecker, there are a ton of different meanings. Mostly, what I gleaned was that they represent the spirit of opportunity knocking, using your head, and creativity.

As one of our hosts was asking Bear to edit his monthly podcast, I think the symbolism fits. It’s a once/month podcast, and it would be a great way to go back to something that he used to enjoy and get even more creative with it. Also, our host has some connections, and he and Bear have already done some information swapping that has helped Bear along in his voice-acting endeavors.

I’m feeling very positive about Bear’s path right now. I’m hoping mine will become clear to me soon. 🙂

Yesterday, I was getting dressed, getting ready to start my day. And as I was doing so, there was a beautiful, bright red cardinal right outside the window next to my pillow. I usually take bird sightings seriously, especially when they’re so blatant. He (only the males are that bright) stayed for a few minutes, even when I approached the open window and began talking to him.

According to this website, cardinal energy is tied to ‘recognizing your self importance’. I don’t think that means recognizing that you’re very self-important, but that you have a purpose. Cardinal is ‘a signal to stop everything and look around’, and realize ‘where you are in that moment’. I was getting ready for work. (It seems like that’s all I do sometimes.) Cardinal also ‘asks you to pay attention to what your body is telling you, and if necessary, take care of any health problems.’

My job hurts me. A lot. Whoever said that retail isn’t a physically challenging job just hasn’t done it before. I keep twisting/wrenching my back, and I know I need to get it checked out. I just have other catastrophes to deal with first.

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Also, I HAVE decided to change the name of my town from Glint to Willowisp. The idea was that it was something seen out of the corner of your eye. Something that led you deeper into the forest on a search. Maybe even something that only the initiated, magickal, or truly mad could see. Glint sounds a bit more southern, but it doesn’t invoke the hippy/pagan roots of the town. It also adds a touch more magick to the setting.

In my next few entries, I’m going to start introducing my characters. I’ll probably share the short character sketches at the very least, and some reference pictures. This is NOT procrastination.